Current Culture: Black Teens are new Media Mavens, Chicago Sports Struggle to Reclaim Playoff Glory and O’Reilly gets Axed
Black Teens Most Active on Social Media — In a recent survey released by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, it was found that black teens are most likely to have access to smartphones and use social media apps. Nearly 9 out of 10 black teenagers use Snapchat, with 4 in 10 using it almost constantly.
“They’re first-movers, in many ways,” said Amanda Lenhart, the lead researcher on the poll, whose work has focused on teenagers and social media use. “It speaks to the level of embeddedness of the technology in black youth’s lives and their willingness to move into new platforms more quickly than their counterparts.”
Facebook Killer Commits Suicide — Two days after a tense nationwide manhunt following a murder recorded on video and uploaded to Facebook on Easter Sunday, the suspect Steve W. Stephens was spotted by McDonald’s staff and stalled in the drive-thru as the police arrived to the scene. As Stevens exited the parking lot, the police gave pursuit. After a brief chase and a PIT maneuver that disabled his vehicle, Stevens commited suicide with a pistol.
Chicago Sports Have Seen Better Days — It seems when it rains it pours in the Chicago sports world, and this week we have a downfall. After a strong season leading to a first-seed in the NHL playoffs, the Chicago Blackhawks fell hard, getting swept by the Nashville Predators. This will be their second year in a row getting knocked out of the playoffs in the first round, an act unfitting of a team who have won three Stanley Cup trophies in the past seven years.
Their United Center neighbors the Chicago Bulls entered the NBA playoffs as the eighth-seed against the Boston Celtics. After two impressive, unsuspected victories over the first seed, the Bulls got shot back down to Earth with news that Rajon Rondo has a broken thumb. His diagnosis? Out indefinitely.
This led to a third-game defeat on Friday and a murky vision over whether the Bulls have the wherewithal to emerge victorious this series. Hopefully the weather clears up in the Chicago sports world, but it will be a long shot.
#ByeBill — After a string of sexual assault allegations from female co-workers that prompted a mass exodus of advertisers from the network, Fox News has fired cable news host Bill O’Reilly. O’Reilly was the most-watched cable news host for the past fifteen years. His program, The O’Reilly Factor, had millions of viewers and helped give a voice to the modern conservative movement in America.
His firing did not go unnoticed on Twitter, as activists responded accordingly to the controversial firebrand, using the hashtag #ByeBill. A common thread brought up was his interview with rapper Cam’Ron and Damon Dash in 2003, debating the merits and artistry of hip hop. This interview is most remembered for Cam’ron wagging his finger at O’Reilly and coining the phrase “You mad?”.
